“Her Path Forward” event aims to uplift the women returning home post-incarceration

Beyond Us & Them’s latest Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative convening, entitled “Her Path Forward,” provided a space to uplift the voices, needs and strengths of women returning home. Council provided the vehicle for powerful conversations about healing, support and building pathways forward.

At the event’s conclusion, attendees were invited to join in a large council symbolizing a ‘circle of care’ and to bear witness to the collective wisdom of the convening and the powerful voices arrayed.

Health beyond the doctor’s office

As an “Accountable Community for Health,” the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative recognizes the importance of connection and belonging as crucial social determinants of health for individuals. ‘Social determinants of health’ refers to the conditions in which people live and work, as well as their access to resources. While feeling connected to community might not seem to be linked to physical health, a growing body of cutting-edge research is showing that it is critical to our health to experience connection to others.

Melinda Johnson with Starting Over, Inc. says, “we need to hear the real stories of people that are actually walking it out. It’s good for your mental health cause we have to have something to hold onto because there’s burnout in the work. And so every time we hear someone speak, it’s like a refresher and a reminder, this is why I do what I do. This is where we’re going. This is why we gotta continue. So this is why we have to come together because this is what community is.”

This event focused on addressing burnout within the workforce, which is experienced by reentry sector workers who themselves are often formerly incarcerated. Beyond Us & Them’s infusion of ‘evidence-based practices’ like council help ease burnout by giving everyone a voice and a structure through which to share their story. 

Using council to ease burnout

“This definitely eases burnout cause I think, for me, coming into places like this, being able to be amongst other like-minded people in the same space, share difficulties… We can come together and brainstorm and find through-lines through which we can get to end results. I think that helps around the burnout piece,” observed Bernard Wilson, of A New Way of Life.

Building community is at the heart of our work. And we believe it starts with connection. The event culminated with a large-sized council highlighting formerly incarcerated women, and their children. The council was an opportunity to share stories and experiences of loved ones, lost loved ones, and the trials and tribulations of navigating life post-incarceration. 

Participant feedback from the event revolved around the open expression of individuality:

“I think it builds a safe space and safe place for women to come out and express the things that they’re going through, as far as reentry is concerned.”

“Being able to be yourself fully and be celebrated and honored for who we are is essential to our health. If we can’t be ourselves how can we receive help?”

“Being able to rebuild from within mind, body and spirit. To be able to build a foundation of resiliency, in order to be able to stand through the changes that happen when you come home. All the barriers, the unspoken barriers of mass incarceration.”

“We need more things like this. I think, oftentimes, we get caught up in doing the work in reentry because there’s so much that needs to be done, and to have instances like this where we can all come together, share resources and be in community – I think that’s the piece that’s been missing so I’m thankful for your organization and Beyond Us & Them to be able to curate something like this.”

The Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative also has a 24/7 online platform for accessing and engaging with resources. Thank you to A New Way of Life who shared in hosting this event with us!

Vision

Our vision for the Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative is to foster an inclusive environment where diverse organizations can come together in a meaningful way, share expertise, exchange ideas, and forge valuable partnerships that will ultimately lead to improved health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities.

Why Now?

California is home to one of the largest prison populations and Los Angeles County has one of the largest populations of system-impacted people in the country. One third of the individuals released from California state prisons now return to the Los Angeles area. Central Los Angeles is a major transit center and, as a result, many individuals on the path of reentry end up in the area. Central and South Los Angeles also consist of many neighborhoods that have historically been harmed by racially biased practices and policies and have been negatively impacted by over-policing. For these and other reasons, the health and wellness of individuals on the journey of reentry presents a critical challenge that must be addressed as part of the public health and wellness priorities of Central and South Los Angeles. 

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For more information on this and other Beyond Us & Them programs, please contact us.